Spring suspension for vehicles



Oct. 21, 1952 Y A Q $.......,..,.v 2,614,863

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES l Filed July 28, 1951 2 SHEETS-#SHEET 1 20 22 l B V v 1 f 1 2 2 L1- l 3.5.5111.1111 1.1.1.1 1....'. 'u

l @.i'r 2 GROUND LEVEL 9| |Oy` INVENTOR. ARTHU R G. SCHRAMM WMM f 72M Oct. 2l, 1952 A. G. SCHRQMM' 2,614,863

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Filed July 28, 1951 2V SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. ARTHUR G. SCHRAM M Patented Oct. 21,Y 1952 y l 2,614,853 y SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Arthur G. Schramm, Phoenix, Ariz. i y Application JZS, 1951, Serial No. 239,082

2 Claims.

`sprung and has a maximum amount of resilience 'and Spring action within a rside of the frame;

compact space at the Anothervobject is to provide a spring suspension for tandem wheels which will allow a wide latitude "of spring movement altho the bed `of the vehicle i is kept low, and which has a stabilizing spring in addition to the :main springs to damp out excessive oscillation and rebound; i 4 Still another object is to provide a spring suspension for vehicles having two pair of tandem `wheels independently supported on stub axles exltending from wheel arms pivotally attached to the vehicle frame, whereby the load is equally distributed between the wheels on each side regard- 'less of the vertical position of the respective `wheels on each. side relative to each.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

, I attain the foregoing objects by means of the devices andconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichp i Figure 1 is a side elevation of my deviceas (applied to a trailer frame;

Figure 2, a plan view thereof; Figure 3, a side elevation of a modined form .of the` mechanism shown in Figure 1,1and

This invention pertains to spring suspension 1 Figure `i is a plan view of my device as applied to atrailer frame, showing wheels on opposite sides of theframe. `Similar' numerals refer to Similar parts in the several views.

Whereas, inthe figures of the drawing only one side `of the vehicle-frame is shown, it is to be understood that structure Whichis the opposite counterpart to that shown will be built onto the opposite side of frame 3.

I i Wheel arms 2 are pivoted to frame 3 by shafts 4 journalled in tubes 5 welded to the inside of i longitudinal frame members 6. y Stub axle or spindle shafts 1 extend outward from the inner or long ends 3 of arms 2, and wheels 9 and IU are journalled on these shafts.

' At the outer or short `ends l2 of arms 2 there are Spring boxes It which hold the lower ends of leaf Springs l5 and I6 respectively. These manually rotated.

2 are substantially horizontal;

springs extend upwardly and are pivoted ``to shackle blocks i8 and I 9 at their upperends. The shackle'blocks are threaded longitudinallyto'receive the tie bar` 2li.` Block I8v and the leftfend of bar 20 has a right hand thread, and `block I9 and the right end of bar Zillaleft' handlthread. The respective ends of bar `2|)` are threaded to screw into these blocks. Aora-nk handle 2|' is attached to one end of bar `2li so that itl'may be In the approximate center of bar 20 thereare two collars 2i which include an annular groove 2&2. A double acting leaf spring 23is fastened to the frame member t approximately midway between wheel arm shafts 4. TheuDDSrfend" of the central leaf 25 is notched to receivefbar 20 when it is fitted into groove 22.

The modied frrn of spring suspension shown in Figure 3 is somewhat simpler than that above described.V ln this form the long ends 38ofthe arms 3) extend away from each other,` and the wheels it and i9 are mountedon stub spindle shafts near their ends.- The springboxesll are mounted on the short ends 32 of `arms 30 andare Substantially adjacent to each other.'` The' wheel y arm supporting shafts 3l are placed closeritogather on the frame member B and springs L35 and 36 extend upward in the space between the wheels, and are'joined at the top by shackle links 40.

In use the wheel arma-wheelsand springs are mounted, as shown, lv'viththe two pairs of `tandem wheels on each side of `the trailer or vehicleframe 3. In the preferred form, shown in` Figures 1 and 2 the tension or the springs is adjusted, by mani-p-` ulation of `crank: 2 I', to turn bar 2D until the arms This is the best riding position. `If the load on the vehicleis increased, the tension of the springs is increased by drawing their upper ends closer together.` This has a tendency to force biotnwheels downward as indicated by dotted outline 9? and Il. This pressure on the ground sustains" the increased" load. Conversely, if the load is lightened the tension between the upper ends ofthe springs may be lesscned by manipulation oflhandle` `2| and rotation of bar 2Q accordingly. Y

If an obstruction isencountered by the front fwheel S ofthe tandem pair on either side of the frame (assuming that the vehicle is traveling in the direction of arrow 4|) the Wheel will be forced up to the position indicated by dotted y outline 9a. Spring I5 will be flexed so that its upper end tends to move outward or away from' the upper end of the rear spring I6. This places a tension on bar 20 so that the upper end of 3 spring I6 is drawn forward toward spring I5 and it is iiexed accordingly. This motion, in turn, tends to force the long end of the wheel arm, carrying rear wheel I0, downward, and wheel I is forced toward the ground. Thus, the rear wheel carries its proportion of the load while the front Wheel 9 is elevated by rolling over an obstruction or bump.l After the forward wheel 9 has passed over the obstruction and it is'encountered by rear Wheel I 0' an action takes place which is the reverse of that just above described. All road unevenness is thus absorbed by the springs and both forward and rear wheels of each tandem pair share in supporting the load.

The above action is modied by centrally'positioned damping spring 23. Thisspring may be made as flexible or as stiff as desired. vIts action is to resist motion of bar in either direction. This damping spring does not take the place y A'of .or-act for/.either of the wheel arm springs `but dampsexcessive-motion of either wheel arm,

1.andrtends to fprevent collapse of the complete :structure and linkage incase the forward wheel :encounters a large bump, or depression when moving at a high speed.

In they modified form, Figure 3, the action :above described is substantially the Asame in princ iple. When the forward wheel I8 encounters a bump the long end of its wheel arm moves Iupward, theuarm pivots on Vits support in the iframe, and the upper end of its attached spring :,35`iswforc'edto` the rear. Thru shackle links 4i) `Vthe lrear -spring 36 is forced rearward and the ,longend 38 of arm 30 is in turn forced downward. L some ways this form may be made more compact than the form rst described, otherwiseits action ismore limited and thesprings cannot :be madeas long, or their ytension adjusted as easily as in the preferred form.

It is to be understood that tandem pairs of '.-wheelsrefers 4to the forward and rearward wheel on eachside. `cluding theabove described suspension and link- 'age is a unit,.-and'is independently mounted on .each side vof `the frame of the trailer or other fvehicle.

Each tandem pair of wheels, in-

`I-Aclaim:

1. Axspring suspension for a pair of tandem fwheelsfadapted to be attached to the side membersof a vehicle frame'composedof a forward normally horizontal wheel arm pivotally attached 'to a side member of said frame intermediate .of its length so .that one end .is longer than Athefotlierfrom said point of attachment; a wheel `ispindle shaft extending laterally voutward rela- .ti-ve to the frame, .from the end portion of the longer .end of said arm; a spring mounted .in a

.spring rbox in .the `end portion of the shorter l`endof said-armextending.normally upward, and

4 mally upward from the shorter end of said wheel arm, having a shackle block pivotally attached toits upper end; wheels on each of said spindle shafts; and a manually rotatable horizontal linking bar threaded at one end into the shackle block on the spring of the forward wheel arm, and threaded at the other end, into the shackle block on the spring of the rear wheel arm with a thread of reverse pitch; said wheel arms being "arranged `so that the longer end of the forward arm extends rearwardly and longer end of the rear wheel arm extends forwardly so that said wheels will be closely adjacent, and said springs--will be beyond the wheels at each end of each wheel arm.

l2. Asprlingsuspension for a pair of tandem wheels, .adapted to be attached to the side members of a vehicle frame composed of a forward normally horizontal wheel arm pivotally attached to a side member of said frame intermediate of its ylength so that one'end is longer-than the other from said point of attachment; a wheel spindle shaft extending laterally outwardfrelative to the frame, from-the end portion Aof .the longer end of said arm; a .springmountedin aspring box in the end portion of theshorter `end of said arm extending normally upward,'and

having ashackle block pivotallyattached to .its upper end; a rear, normally horizontal wheel ar-m pivotally attached to said side member of said frame intermediateof its length so that one end is longer from said point of attachment than the other; a wheel spindle `shaft attached to and extending laterally outward from the end portion of the longer end of said Wheel` arm; 'a spring attached to and extending normally upward Yfrom theshorter end of said wheel larm, having a shackle blockpivotally .attached to k.its upper end; wheels oneach of said spindle shafts; andamanually rotatable horizontallinking .bar having an annular groove formed in approximately the middle of its `length and being threaded at one end into the shackle block on the spring of the forward wheel arm, and threaded at the otherr end, into the shackle block on the spring on the rear wheel arm with a thread of reverse pitch; said wheel arms being arranged so that the longer `end of the forward arm extends rearwardly and longer end `of the rear wheel arm extends Vforwardly so that-said wheels will be closely adjacent, and said springs will be beyond the wheels at each end of each wheel arm; together withl a `damping spring having a central leaf, with a notch at its upper end attached to said frame at a positionbetween said Awheels and extending vertically Hto said linking bar with its notched central'leaf engaging in the annular groove of said linking bar.

ART-HUB. G. fSCI-'IRAMNL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the p file of this patent: 

